Válor: Trails, Rivers and Historic Heritage

Válor can be explored via its trails, rivers and historic buildings. The Sendero del Agua runs within the protected Sierra Nevada area and is closely linked to historic irrigation channels, springs and washhouses. Route F connects Válor with the Fuente de Las Primeras Aguas and begins near the town center. The GR-7 section between Válor and Nechite is a hiking trail about 1.5 kilometers long, following the service path of the Acequia del Lunes.

Rivers, heights and views

At 2,788 meters, Alto de San Juan lies on Válor’s northern municipal boundary. The Río Nechite rises in the Sierra Nevada; its middle slopes have stands of holm oaks and riverside vegetation. The Río Válor flows from the local peaks of the Sierra Nevada through steep sections, some bordered by rock faces. Its gallery vegetation consists mainly of willows and poplars. These different river landscapes shape the surrounding area: the middle slopes along the Nechite, and the steep sections and riverside woodland along the Válor.

The Mirador de La Jarea offers a different perspective. It consists of two terraced threshing floors and provides views across large parts of the Sierras de la Contraviesa, Gádor and Nevada. On the right bank of the Río Válor, a rock is home to the Castaño de la Cebadilla, a more than 200-year-old chestnut tree that is one of the largest specimens in the municipality.

Buildings and traces of history

The Casa de Abén Humeya dates from the 16th century and belonged to Fernando de Córdoba y Válor, known as Abén Humeya. He was the first leader of the Morisco Rebellion in La Alpujarra from 1568 to 1570. The Iglesia de Válor was originally built in the mid-16th century and preserves the oldest camarín in La Alpujarra. For the Vía Crucis de Válor, wrought-iron crosses on the façades of various houses form a Way of the Cross; it is one of the few in the comarca that still preserves original elements.

Older traces can be found at the Castillejo de Válor: the remains of the walls of a fortified settlement from the early Islamic period survive there, and the site was inhabited from the 9th to the 11th century. The Barrio de Cantarranas is dated to the 10th to 15th centuries. It preserves features of the comarca’s medieval Muslim architecture, including porches, tinaos and adarves. Tajo de las Ventanas is a medieval group of caves carved into the rock and connected to the former castle above. The caves may have been used to store grain.

The Ermita de la Virgen de Lourdes is in the town center; a small cemetery is attached to its south side. The Moorish Puente de la Tableta, made of reddish bricks, lies on the GR-7 section between Válor and Yegen. Its single opening is slightly pointed. It can be reached from the west side of Válor or from the Ermita de la Virgen de Lourdes.

Festivals throughout the year

On September 15, Válor stages a performance of Moros y Cristianos, based on the uprising of the Moriscos of Granada in late 1568. During the annual Baile de las Ánimas, on December 25, people walk through the streets with their instruments and collect donations for the patron saint festivals. At the Fuente de Cuesta Viñas, people from Yegen and Válor celebrate popular festivals on July 25 and August 15; this, too, is an annual local tradition. If you want to plan your trip around one of these events, check the dates in advance.

Discover more destinations: Castillo De Tajarja, La Ermita, Polopos, Ítrabo, Lopera, Diezma, Huétor Tájar, Gorafe.

For the main travel overview: Granada.